An Afghan-international security force killed two armed individuals and detained several suspected insurgents in Balkh province last night. The team was pursuing a Haqqani network facilitator reportedly involved in planning upcoming attacks in Mazar-e Sharif, and who has had direct contact with senior Haqqani network leadership in Pakistan.

As Afghan and coalition forces began to search the area in the Nahr-e Shahi district, they encountered two armed men who displayed hostile intent toward the security force. The combined force instructed the men, through an interpreter, to lay their weapons on the ground, but they did not comply and were killed. Afghan soldiers used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to exit the series of compounds. Once the buildings were secured, the security force detained the suspected insurgents for further questioning.

A separate Afghan-international security force detained several suspected insurgents outside Kandahar city last night while pursuing a Taliban commander who is a trafficker of weapons and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) throughout the province. Afghan forces used a loudspeaker to call for all the occupants to peacefully exit the buildings and then cleared the area. After securing the compounds, the security force detained the suspected insurgents for further questioning. This operation continues joint operations in Kandahar, including the capture last week of a Taliban commander who was an ambush, suicide bombing and assassination expert linked to a suicide bombing at Kandahar airport in late April, which injured more than 70 civilians.

Another Afghan-international security force detained several suspected insurgents in the village of Hakimabad in Khugyani district, Nangarhar province, last night while pursuing a Taliban commander who facilitates foreign fighters in the district. The commander had direct contact with a Taliban commander detained by the security force July 3. He was also directly linked to the overall Taliban emir of Khugyani district and associated with the recent influx of Lashkar-e Tayyiba operatives into the province. Afghan soldiers used a loudspeaker to call for all the occupants to come outside and then secured the building before detaining the suspected insurgents.

Women and children present were protected by joint security forces during all of the above operations.